Railroad-track-laying machine



( No Model.) '2 SheetsShee't 1. G. ROBERTS. RAILROAD TRACK LAYING'MAGHINE.

No. 425,829, Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

Iveni'ior.

fittest 4 was PETERS co" mnro-um (No Model.) 2 sheets-slim 2.

' G. ROBERTS.

RAILROAD'TRAOK LAYING MACHINE. No. 425.829 Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

iii *3 11: Inventor;

a, J. 62% Z27 MW w;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ROBERTS, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

RAlLROAD-TRACK-LAYING MACH IN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,829, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed October 21, 1889. Serial No. 327,665. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern: Be it known thatI, GEORGE ROBERTS, a subgect of the Queen of England, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and Territory of \Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Track-Laying Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to track-laying machines, and particularly to improvements on the machine for which I filed an application for Letters Patent on or about the 14th day of February, 1888, (Serial No. 264,041 and it has for its objects, first, to convey the steam from the locomotive-boiler along the sides of the cars to an engine located ahead of the locomotive and connecting the pipes which convey the steam in such a manner as will permit of movement of the train of cars without breakage of the connections and without stoppage of the forward engine; second, to provide means for instantaneously connecting and disconnecting the engine-shaft with the shafts for operating the tramway-rollers; third, to provide improved'rollers for the tietramway, whereby the ties will be positively moved forward; fourth, to provide improved rollers for the rail-tramway; fifth, to provide an improved tramway-frame; sixth, to provide an improved tramway-support; seventh, to

provide improved means forhandling the rails,

and-in other details of construction, as hereinafter set forth; and it consists of the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, and showing the steamdome of a locomotive; Fig. 2, a detail view of the pipe-connection; Fig. 8, a side view of the tramways; Fig. et,a plan view of one of my improved rollers for the tie-tramway; Fig. 5, vertical sectional end view of one side of the tramway; Fig. 6, a side elevation of the tramway-support; Fig. 7, a plan view of one of the rollers for the support and one end of the axle; Fig. 8, a side elevation of my improved device for handling the rails; Fig. 9, an enlarged detailsection of the tramway-coupling.

Similar letters refer to similar parts thro ughout the several views.

A represents the bed of a flat car, on which the engine 0 for operating the tramway-rollers is located, and B the dome of a locomotive-boiler, said locomotive being located in rear of the car carrying the engine, preferably immediately in rear of the last car carryin g the rails, and connected to the steam-chest a of said engine by means of pipes D D. These pipes are made of metal throughout, their connection being formed of metal couplings E, which permit of the oscillation of the pipes at point of coupling or connection to accommodate the pipes to the movement of the train without breakage of same or stoppage of the engine 0. The couplings E are formed with a bend E at right angles in one direction at one end and with a bend E at right angles in an opposite'direction at its other end, said pipes D and D fitting into the ends of the bends E and E respectively, and screwed together loosely, so as to permit of the slight movement of pipes at this point occasioned by the movement'of the train.

On each side of the engine 0 a cross-beam F is secured, which extends across to and beyond the sides of the car, and is connected by the short beams G and G, the first-named beams G supporting the inner boxes I) and the beams G the outer boxes I) for the shafts H, said shafts carrying on their inner ends the cups 0, adapted to be moved back and forth on said shafts by means of the levers I, fulcrumed to the cross-beams G and extending from said shafts at right angles.

J are ratchet or toothed bars mounted on one of the beams F, into the teeth of which the levers are caught in order to hold the same in the position in which they may be set. The cups 0 are adapted to fit within the cups d, mounted on the ends of the engineshaft K, thus forming a friction-clutch, which is easily and readily thrown into and out of contact, in order to start or stop the rotation of the shafts H.

On the outer ends of the shafts H, I secure the bevel-pinions L, said pinions meshing with bevel-pinions M, mounted on the shafts N at right angles, and said shafts N having their hearings in boxes secured on the ends of beams F. The shafts Nare formed at one end with a jaw 6, adapted to fit within a corresponding jaw f, formed on the ends of coupling-rods 0, said jaws being pivotally secured together by the pins g g, passing through the jaws one behind the other. The tumblingrods are similarly connected to the connecting-rods O, and said rods 0 to similar rods arranged along the tramways at the sides of the cars and connected, as shown in Fig. 3, with the bevel-pinions P, mounted on one end of the rollers P, by means of .the bevel-pinions Q. The rods 0 have their hearings in the boxes R, said boxes having their projections S secured between the upper and lower beams R R as best shown in the end view, Fig. 5,

and secured by a bolt passing through saidbeams and projections. The'rollers P are made up of a series of toothed wheels or disks h, mounted side by side on shafts or axles having their ends journaled in boxes between the upper and lower beams R R" adjacent to the boxes R and secured therein by the same bolts that hold beams R and R and secure the last-named boxes in place. Each of the boxes R is'provided with an oil-cup h, whereby the bearings are kept lubricated.

Again referring to the pinions Q, it will be noticed that they are formed with a round extension S, said extension having a square opening through the same adapted to fit the square rods 0', on which they are slipped and externally adapted to fit within the boxes R, in which they turn, in order to rotate the pinions P. The rollers P are used only in the tie-tramway, and then only in that portion of the tramway in rear of the car carrying the machine, and owing to their teeth will prevent the ties holding back, as is sometimes the case where a plain-surfaced roller is employed to move the ties, as said rollers often slip or rotate against the tie without moving the same; but with'my improved rollers this is impossible, as the teeth will grasp the tie and move it along positively should it not move freely.

The front portion of the tie-tramway is provided with only plain-surfaced rollers, which are not connected with the power, as said portion is inclined, and the ties slide down the same freely to the men who handle the same at the front of the machine. The rail-tram- Way is made or constructed similar to the tietramway in all respects excepting the rollers, which are not toothed, and the front series of which are made in two parts m m and mounted on the same shafts. This front series is on the inclining portion of the tramway, and are divided or made in two parts for the reason that the rails frequently come down the incline on the tramway two at a time, rendering it difficult to move one of them out without moving the other also, as the rollers heretofore employed are in one piece; but

with my-divided rollers I am enabled to draw one of the rails along on one side of the tramway, moving only the halves of the rollers on which it rests without moving the other halves of said rollers.

The tramways are braced apart by the crosspieces n and are flexibly or adj nstably connected at the ends of each section by the device shown in Figs. 3 and 9-, in which 0 represents a staple-shaped socket secured with its mouth portion outward between the ends of the beams R R at the outer side of the tramways by the bolts 19, having their heads countersunk in said socket and passing through said beams, while a bar 7', having a perforation in one end, is secured between the beams R R bybolts passing through the same of the adjacent section of tramway, said bar being adapted to enter said socket and be there secured pivotally by the pin 5', passing through the ends of said socket and bar.

In Fig. 6 I show my improved roller-support for the tramways, in which A represents the side of a car, and B the pockets usually found thereon, said pockets being secured to the car by means of the staples C. E represents the upright, having its lower end curving at right angles and-upwardly from the car and its upper end bent over to form the hook F, and having a bracket H secured thereto, which rests against the side of the car to sustain the side strain from the weight of the tramways. The upright is perforated at a, and the axle b, having an opening b formed therein at one end, is slipped on the upright and secured by a pin a passing through one of aseries of perforations found in said axle, is supported by a rod or bar a having a series of perforations therein,which is fitted in a slot formed in the end of the curved portion of the upright and there held by a pin a, passing through said upright and bar, and the upper end of said bar is pivotally secured to a lug or ear 0., formed on the axle, whereby said bar" may be adjusted up 'or down in the slotted end in order to set the outer end of the axle level, while the axle itself maybe adjusted in or out or up or down in order to accommodate the series of supports mounted on or secured to the cars in line with each other no matter how the widths and heights of the cars forming the train may vary. On the axle the flanged short rollers b are mounted loosely, so that they may turn on the bottom edges of the tramways when the train is moved without disturbing the positions of said tramways. The upright is slipped into the pockets from beneath and the hook caught over the top of the pocket, thus enabling me tohang my support to cars loadedin any manner, whether the material therein projects beyond the sides of the car or not.

In Fig. 8 I show an improved device for handling therai1sthatis, conveying the same from the pile of rails on the car and dropping them on the rollers of the tramwayin which A represents the bed of the car, and A a tramway mounted on the side thereof. A represents stakes having their lower ends secured in pockets attached to the side of the car and to the outer side of the tramway at about the centers of the same. A track or way A is secured to the upper ends of said stakes and extends across the car, on which is a flanged wheel A, mounted at the bend of a bell-crank lever A, to the short end of which a rod A having its upper end perforated, is adjustably pivoted and carrying at its lower end the -tongs A adapted to grasp a rail. The cars are loaded with the rails lying lengthwise, and by means of this device a rail may be quickly grasped at about its center by the tongs and the long end of the lever pressed down, thus raising the rail and moving the rail toward and over the railtramway, when the tongs may be lowered and released and the rail dropped on the rollers to be conveyed forward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, in a track-laying machine, with the locomotive, of the vertical engine, the steam-pipes adapted to oscillate at their coupling-joint and connecting said 10- comotive and engine steam-chest, the engineshaft having the friction-cups on each end, and the shafts mounted in line with said engine-shaft and carrying the cups or disks adapted to be thrown into or out of connection with the cups on the engine-shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a track-laying machine, with the locomotive, of the vertical engine mounted on a car in advance of the locomotive, the steam-pipe D, connected to the 10- comotive-dome, the pipe D, connected to the steam-chest of said engine, the pipe E, coupling pipes D D', so as to permit said pipes to move slightly at their connecting-points with said pipe E, the engine-shaft, the shafts H in line therewith, the friction-clutches connecting said shafts to said engine-shaft, means for operating said clutches, the bevel-pinions mounted on the ends of the shafts, the crossshafts having jaws formed in their ends, the bevel-pinions thereon, and the connectingrods, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a track-laying machine, of the sectional tramways, the engineshaft, the shafts H in line with said engineshaft, the clutch devices connecting said shaft with the engine-shaft, the cross-shafts having jaws formed on their ends, the tumbling-rods having corresponding jaws coupled to said first-named jaws, the connecting-rollers mounted on the tramways, the rollers having their bearings in said tramways, and adjustable or flexible couplings. between. the

sections of tramway, substantially as described;

4:. The hereinbefore-described tie-tramway for track-laying machines, consisting of the side beams mounted one above the other, the toothed wheels mounted on axles forming rollers, said axles being journaled in said tramways, the bevel-pinions secured on the ends of said axles, and the sockets secured between the upper and lower beams at their ends, the bar similarly secured adapted to enter said socket, and a pin for coupling said socket and bar together, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a tramway for tracklaying machines, of the side beams arranged one above the other, the axles having their bearings between the edges of said beams, the toothed disks or wheels mounted 011 said axles, the beveled pinions secured to the ends of said axles, the connecting-rods running alongside said tramways, the pinions having round projections mounted on said rods, the bearings for said pinions and rods secured between the edges of said beams, and means for flexibly coupling the tramways together, substantially as described 7 6. The tramway for conveying rails in a track-laying machine, consisting of the side beams, the rollers having pinions mounted in said beams, means for rotating said rollers, and the divided rollers arranged in the delivery end of said tramway, substantially 'as described. 1

7. The combination, in track-laying machines, of the tramway-supports consisting of the perforated upright having its lower end curved outwardly and upwardly and its upper end bent to form a hook, the bracket secured to said upright, the axle perforated at one end and having a square opening therein adapted to fit said upright, the pinfor securing the axle to the upright, the rod or bar pivoted to the axle and having its lower end perforated and adapted to be pivotally connected to said upright, and the flanged rollers mounted on said axle, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in a track-laying machine, of a car, the rail-tramway, the vertical stakes secured to said ear and tramway, the track or way connecting said stakes, the bellcrank lever, the flanged wheel journaled to the lever, the perforated rod pivotally secured to the short end of said lever, and the tongs secured to said rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ROBERTS.

WVitnesses:

VICTOR J. EVANS, W. H. H. COOPER. 

